Pocket billiard training device



I. Nov. 30, 1965 R. w. MILLER 3,220,122

POCKET BILLIARD TRAINING DEVICE Filed July 2, 1963 AT POC KE T FIG. 8

INVENTOR RAPHAEL" W MILLER ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,220,122 POCKET BILLIARD TRAINING DEVICE Raphael W. Miller, 1406 W. Franklin St., Jackson, Mich. Filed July 2, 1963, Ser. No. 292,248 4 Claims. (Cl. 35-29) The invention pertains to a training device and particularly relates to a device for use in teaching pocket billiards and billiards.

The current interest in pocket billiards and billiards has sharply increased the popularity of these games, and many individuals, such as women and children, who have no prior knowledge of the games or of the skills involved, have become participants. One of the most difiicult skills to acquire in the games of pocket billiards and billiards lies in the determination of the point at which the numbered pocket balls or the carom billiard balls are to be struck by the cue ball to produce movement of the pocket ball or carom ball in the desired direction. The invention pertains to a training device which aids a novice in appreciating the concepts involved and acquiring the skill necessary to play the games.

It is to be understood that while the training device of the invention may be employed in teaching the concepts and theory of billiards, as well as pocket billiards, the device primarily will be employed in the teaching of pocket billiards, and the following description will be with regard to the game of pocket billiards.

It is an object of the invention to provide a pocket billiard training device which demonstrates and teaches the concepts of pocket billiards wherein a numbered pocket ball is struck by a cue ball to provide movement of the pocket ball in the desired direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pocket billiard training device of a simple and easily operable construction wherein the device includes a cue ball guide or track member and a pocket ball locator member wherein the orientation of the cue ball guide member and the player ball locator member may be readily observed that the concepts of pocket billiards may be easily apprecited by a novice.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pocket billiard training device consisting of a cue ball guide or track member and a pocket ball locator pivotally aflixed to the cue ball guide member wherein an infinite number of relationships between the path of movements of the cue ball and pocket ball may be produced to demonstrate the relationships of the cue ball and the pocket ball necessary to obtain a given directional movement of the pocket ball.

These and other objects of the invention arising from the details of the components and the relationships thereof of an embodiment of the invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pocket billiard training device in accord with the invention,

FIG. 2 is an elevational, sectional view of the guide member, and a ball mounted thereon, taken along section IIII of FIG. 5.

FIG. 3 is an elevational, sectional view of the ball 10- cator member, having a pocket ball mounted thereon, as taken along section IIL-III of FIG. 5,

FIG. 4 is an elevational, sectional, detail View taken through the pivot pin along section IV-IV of FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the pocket billiard training device, in accord with the invention, illustrating the relationships of a cue ball and a pocket ball prior to shooting of the cue ball,

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the training device of FIG. 5

3,220,122 Patented Nov. 30, 19,65

ice

at the instant of engagement between the cue and pocket balls,

FIG. 7 is a view of the training device of FIG. 5 shortly after engagement of the cue and pocket balls, and

FIG; 8 is a plan, detail view of the guide and ball locator members, having balls thereon when disposed at substantially right angles, at the moment of ball contact.

The pocket billiard training device, in accord with the invention, consists of two elements, namely, a guide or track member 10 and a ball locator member 12. The guide member 10 and the ball locator member 12 are formed of a sheet material, preferably having an attractive appearance, and are pivotally interconnected by a pivot pin 14, FIG. 4, whereby the ball locator 12 may be pivoted relative to the guide member 10.

The guide member 10 is of a generally planar configuration having a lower surface 16 adapted to be supported on the playing surface of a pocket billiard table. A .pair of parallel rails 18 are defined on the guide member extending in the longitudinal direction thereof. In the disclosed embodiment, the rails 18 are defined by upwardly deflecting inverted V-shaped portions 20 from the sheet material of the guide member, whereby sharply defined rail apex edges 22 are formed. The rails 18 are spaced so as to support a conventional size cue ball in the manner apparent from FIG. 2, wherein the edges 22 are substantially the only portion of the guide member which engages a cue ball resting thereon. If desired, a groove 24 or other indicia may be longitudinally defined on the upper surface of the guide member 10 centrally intermediate the rails 18 to constitute a sight line for the player indicating the direction in which the cue ball will be traveling.

The ball locator member 12 consists of a planar sheet material having a lower surface 26 adapted to engage the playing surface of the pocket billiard table, and is provided with a number pocket ball receiving depression 28 defined in the upper surface thereof, FIG. 3. As will be apparent from FIGS. 1 and 3, the pocket ball depression 28 is formed by a hole 30 extending through the ball locator member having an upper countersunk portion. Preferably, the upper surface of the ball locator 12 is provided with an arrow or other indicia indicating the desired direction of movement of the pocket ball, whereby the player may pivot the ball locator 12 about the pivot pin 14 relative to the guide member 10 to aim the ball locator in the desired direction, usually at the nearest pocket billiard table pocket.

The pivot pin 14 is located exactly centrally intermediate the rail edges 22 of the guide member 10, whereby the axis of rotation of the ball locator member 12 and the ball locator depression 28 relative to guide member 10 will intersect the longitudinal axis of the track defined by the rails 18. Also, the distance between the axis of the pivot pin 14 and the center of the pocket ball locator depression 28, as viewed in a plan relationship, FIG. 7, is equal to a distance only slightly less than the diameter of the one and numbered pocket balls. This dimensional relationship is necessary to produce the desired direction of movement of the pocket ball upon being struck by the cue ball.

The training device is employed as follows:

The player places the training device on the surface of the pocket billiard table, wherein the lower surfaces 16 and 26 of the guide member 10 and ball locator member 12, respectively, will be engaging the pocket billiard table surface. The player then pivots the ball locator member 12 about the pivot pin 14 relative to the guide member 10 so that the arrow on the locator member points in the desired direction of pocket ball movement. A numbered pocket ball 32 is then located on the ball locator member within the depression 28. The player then positions a cue ball 34 on the rails 18 of the guide member at a distance remote from the pivot pin 14. A typical relationship of the balls at this phase of the operation of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 5.

The player then shoots the cue ball 34, by means of a billiard cue, along the rails of the guide member and toward the numbered pocket ball 32, and the rails 18 positively guide the cue ball along it's path of movement. Due to the dimensional relationship previously described between the pivot pin 14 and the depression 28, the cue ball 34 will engage the pocket ball 32, as shown in FIG. 6. It will be appreciated that the relationship between the pivot pin 14 and the depression 28 at this time is such that the plan projection of the centers of the balls 32 and 34 onto the ball locator member 12 locates the ball centers upon the central longitudinal axis of the ball locator 12 represented by the arrow defined thereon indi cating the desired direction of pocket ball movement. Of course, this relationship is necessary to cause the cue ball to move the pocket ball in the direction of the arrow defined on the ball locator member.

FIG. 7 illustrates the position of the cue and pocket balls after their engagement, as represented in FIG. 6. The arrows appearing on the balls indicate movement of the balls and the direction thereof. As will be apparent from FIG. 7, the pocket ball 32 has been displaced out of the depression 28 by the cue ball 34 and moved in the direction of the ball locator arrow. It will be appreciated that the depth of the depression 28 is such as to permit the ball locator to locate the pocket ball, but does not interfere with movement of the pocket ball once it is struck by the cue ball.

The training device vividly illustrates to the pocket billiard novice the necessary angular relationships of the paths of movement of the cue and pocket balls to produce the desired direction of movement of the pocket ball. By pivoting the ball locator member 12 at different angular relationships to the guide member 10, the novice soon appreciates the different points of the pocket ball which must be engaged by the cue ball to produce the desired direction-of movement of the pocket ball. FIG. 8 illustrates the relationship of the guide and ball locator members which will produce a right angular movement between the paths of movement of the one and pocket balls. It will be appreciated that in the relationship shown in FIG. 8, the cue ball barely engagesthe pocket ball to produce such right angular paths of movement.

As the ball locator member 12 is located on the underside of the track member 10, the center of the cue ball 34 will be slightly higher than the center of the pocket ball 32 being struck thereby. This relationship minimizes jumping of the pocket ball upon being struck by the cue ball and, to a large extent, overcomes the slight vertical movement of the pocket ball as it leaves the ball locator depression, thereby producing a realistic pocket ball action.

It is understood that various modifications to the described embodiment of the invention may be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and it is intended that the invention be defined only by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A pocket billiard training device comprising, in

combination,

(a) an elongated guide member adapted to be supported on the playing surface of a pocket billiard table,

(b) a track defined on said guide member adapted to guide and support a first ball thereon and having a longitudinal central axis,

((2) a substantially planar ball locator,

(d) a pivot pin pivotally attaching said ball locator to said guide member, the axis of said pivot pin intersecting the longitudinal central axis of said tracks and perpendicular to the plane of said track, and

(e) a ball-receiving means defined on said ball locator adapted to receive and locate a second ball on said ball locator, the distance between the center of said means and said pivot pin axis being substantially equal to the diameter of a pocket billiard ball.

2. A pocket billiard training device comprising, in

combination,

(a) an elongated guide member of sheet material adapted to be supported on the playing surface of a pocket billiard table,

(b) a pair of spaced, parallel rails defined on said guide member extending in the longitudinal direction thereof and so spaced as to support a billiard ball thereon and having a longitudinal central axis,

(6) a substantially planar ball locator,

(d) a pivot pin pivotally attaching said ball locator to said guide member, the axis of said pivot pin intersecting the longitudinal, central axis of said rails, and

(e) a ball-receiving depression defined on said ball locator adapted to locate a ball on said ball locator, the distance between the center of said depression and said pivot pin axis being substantially equal to the diameter of a pocket billiard ball.

3. In a pocket billiard training device, as in claim 2,

wherein:

(a) said rails are defined integrally from the sheet material of said track member.

4. In a pocket billiard training device, as in claim 3,

wherein:

(a) said rails are of an inverted V-configuration.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 366,318 7/1887 Hughes 273118 1,813,116 7/1931 Clausen 273-14 2,231,089 2/ 1941 Rorer.

2,670,206 2/1954 Brewster 4643 X 2,866,645 12/1958 Cayot 273- X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,706 1908 Great Britain. 15,498 1906 Great Britain. 18,765 1910 Great Britain.

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner, 

1. A POCKET BILLIARD TRAINING DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, (A) AN ELONGATEDE GUIDE MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED ON THE PLAYING SURFACE OF A POCKET BILLIARD TABLE, (B) A TRACK DEFINED ON SAID GUIDE MEMBER ADAPTED TO GUIDE AND SUPPORT A FIRST BALL THERON AND HAVING A LONGITUDINAL CENTRAL AXIS, (C) A SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR BALL LOCATOR, (D) A PIVOT PIN PIVOTALLY ATTACHING SAID BALL LOCATOR TO SAID GUIDE MEMBER, THE AXIS OF SAID PIVOT PIN INTERSECTING THE LONGITUDINAL CENTRAL AXIS OF SAIS TRACKS AND PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANE OF SAID TRACK, AND (E) A BALL-RECEIVING MEANS DEFINED ON SAID BALL LOCATOR ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND LOCATE A SECOND BALL ON SAID 